


The One Where Remus Gets an Unexpected Roommate

by mttegg



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Shapeshifting, Slow Burn, Werewolf Remus Lupin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:15:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26147791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mttegg/pseuds/mttegg
Summary: Sirius Black is kicked out of his home one evening, and he decides to stay with his friend Remus Lupin until he's able to get a place of his own.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Kudos: 18





	1. I.

The evening had been particularly quiet, as most nights were in Remus Lupin’s house. Remus had gone through his nightly routine and was getting ready to go to sleep. He sat in bed and held a book in his hand. He was definitely looking at it, but he was too distracted by his own thoughts to get past the page he was on. He felt as if something horribly wrong was about to happen. Something that he wouldn’t be able to handle. Of course, he was used to his anxiety getting the best of him, so he tried his best to disregard the feeling of lingering dread hanging over his head and sleep it off. He put his book down on the nightstand and picked up his glass of water that rested next to it. The glass was pressed against his lips when he was startled by the sound of the doorbell ringing, followed by an annoying, persistent knocking.

Setting the glass back down onto the nightstand, Remus warily slipped out of bed and went to go to the window to see if anyone had parked a car outside. There was no unfamiliar vehicle in his driveway.

The doorbell rang again. His legs felt like gelatin as he swiftly put on his slippers and rushed downstairs, unsure of what to do with himself. What if he opened the door to a horrifying man in a mask ready to kidnap and torture him? Maybe it was a ridiculous thought, but his intuition was warning him against even approaching the door. He stood near the stairs, seeing if the person would eventually leave if he didn’t make a sound. There was silence for a while, but Remus flinched when he heard pounding on the door once again.

“Moooooonyyyyy!” groaned a familiar voice on the other end. Could it possibly be...? Why now? Why so late and unannounced? Remus stood there for a few more seconds before he walked to the door and opened it, just a crack, peeking his head out just to confirm his suspicion.

“ _ Sirius! _ ” Remus hissed, his face contorted into an annoyed scowl. “What in the world are you doing here!”

“Surprise...?” Sirius offered a sheepish smile and waved his hands up next to his face. “Aren’t you happy to see me, old friend?”

Remus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, opening the door wider so that his whole body was visible. “You’d better have a good explanation for this. God, just come inside”

“Boy, have I got a story to tell.” Sirius gave a belly laugh as he walked past Remus, revealing that he was towing a rather large and expensive looking suitcase. Then again, was there any item Sirius owned that wasn’t expensive, extravagant, or both?

“Tell it, then,” Remus said, fighting back a smile. It was hard to be upset with Sirius for showing up so late at night when he was always unbelievably jovial and silly. He had an outlook on life that was extremely hard to come by in a person. However, something seemed… off. It felt as if the spark in Sirius’s eye was dimmed, no matter how outwardly happy he was.

Sirius pulled his luggage into the living room area and took off his shoes before laying down on the couch. Remus pulled a rocking chair from the corner of the room over to the side of the couch where Sirius’s head was and sat down in it, folding his hands in his lap. He looked at Sirius, who was staring at the ceiling, and said, “Spill.”

“Alright,” Sirius huffed. “What version of the story do you want? The long version or the short?”

“Whichever one you feel more comfortable telling.”

“How about we meet halfway?” Sirius bent his knees so that his feet were resting on the cushion of the couch. “I’ll tell you as much as I want to tell you and leave out the juicy, juicy details.”

“That’s fine by me,” Remus said, shrugging. “I mean, you’re in a safe space. You can say whatever’s on your mind.”

“Oh, blah blah blah.” Sirius blew a raspberry. “I’ll say as much as I feel like saying, Moons. Now, hmm… where to start?” He bopped his head from side to side as he thought, as if he was playing music in his head. As far as Remus knew, he  _ was _ playing music in his head. It wasn’t unlike him. All of a sudden, the music seemed to stop. “Ah. Alright. So, the beginning…

“Today was alright. It was fine, up until about dinnertime. See, when I have dinner with my family I like to play a game called ‘How many people am I able to piss off in the short span of thirty minutes?’ I suppose tonight was the last straw for mum. She’d definitely had enough of it.”

Sirius had paused long enough for Remus to ask, “What was it you’d said?”

There was another pause before Sirius gave a hearty laugh. “You’ll never believe the absolute absurdity of the situation. I had simply wanted to discuss basic human rights. You know, giving homeless people housing, treating people of all races equally. The works. Shouldn’t be too controversial, right?”

Remus shook his head.

“See!” exclaimed Sirius. “That’s exactly what I was thinking before I even opened my mouth to speak! But, she found it obscene. My mum, of course. She thought I was being unreasonable. Told me to stay in line and keep my mouth shut. Really, though, when have I ever been known to stop talking? Don’t answer that, by the way.” He hummed as he gathered his thoughts. “So… I decided enough was enough. I told her off. Told everyone off. Said none of them were worth my time and compassion if they were just going to ignore socioeconomic issues and basically brush off everything that didn’t directly involve them. And, uh… My mum apparently felt like  _ I _ wasn’t worth her time and compassion either. So she told me to pack and leave and never come back.”

Remus stared at him, awed by his unfortunate tale. Still, he felt like there were pieces missing. “That can’t possibly be everything.”

“This was a long time coming, Remus. That fight was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. Nothing could have prevented it.”

Remus opened his mouth to say something, but Sirius cut him off by raising his hand. “I know you’re going to say ‘sorry’, and honestly, I appreciate it, but I don’t want to be pitied. I feel… free. I’m just asking for a place to stay until I’m able to get on my feet.”

Of course Remus was about to say he was sorry. Sirius knew him too well. He just stared at him as he laid there, unsure of what to say next. He didn’t know how to handle this. On one hand, he could use the extra help and company, but on the other, Sirius was pretty useless when it came to chores and sometimes drained the life out of him if they talked for too long. He weighed his options for a while before he said, “I have a question.”

“Shoot.”

“Why not James and Lily? I mean, you  _ are _ James’s best friend. I’m sure he’s yours, too.”

“Ahh, I have my reasons.” Sirius stuck his arms out straight and waved his hands. “Three’s a lot. I mean, for one house. On top of that, I doubt he would have said yes out of kindness and not out of pity for me. His brain isn’t wired the same as yours is. He’s always a martyr rather than a philanthropist.”

“I’m not quite sure I can completely understand your reasoning, but of course you’re welcome to stay with me. Even if you’re weird and try to psychoanalyze your friends.” Remus laughed, but Sirius furrowed his brow.

“That’s not a fair way to put it,” Sirius said. “I’m just telling you the truth based on what I know. And I know him better than anyone.”

“Alright, fine,” Remus said, sounding defeated. “You’re right.”

“Of course I’m right. Am I sleeping on the couch?”

Choosing to ignore the first comment, Remus replied, “You don’t have to. I haven’t had time to tidy up the guest bedroom since you’ve showed up unannounced, though. You know phones exist, right?”

“I didn’t feel like explaining the situation to you over the phone, Moony. You wouldn’t have seen the message or answered the call anyway. You never check your phone.”

“Fine. That’s fair.”

The two of them sat in silence for a bit. The only thing that could be heard in the room was the ticking of the clock on the wall. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, like the kind you can’t bear to sit in for too long. It was very comfortable, actually. Remus took a deep breath as he stared at Sirius, trying to figure out what to say next. He really just wanted to go to sleep.

By some stroke of luck, it was Sirius that spoke next. “I’m tired.”

“Oh, thank God,” Remus sighed. “I’m falling asleep in this chair.”

Sirius laughed as he got up off of the couch and grabbed the handle of his suitcase. “If you would kindly point me in the direction of the room where I’ll be staying, I’d be forever grateful.”

“Shut  _ up _ , Padfoot,” Remus said, holding back laughter, trying to seem more angry than he actually was. He stood up as well. “Just follow me.”

The two of them walked upstairs together, Sirius clunking his luggage against every step as he trailed along. They continued to the guest bedroom, which was conveniently right across the hall from Remus’s room. It wasn’t very spacious, but it was cozy. The bed was small, but neatly made, embellished by sheets and pillowcases that had frills on the edges. Along with the bed, there was an empty dresser and a window that gave Sirius a view of the backyard, plus some plants scattered about. They were well-maintained. Remus loved to take care of living things and make sure they were flourishing.

Sirius took a look around the room before turning back to Remus. “Lovely, lovely. I commend you and your eye for interior design.”

Remus smiled at him genuinely before wrapping his arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug. He felt Sirius’s arms tighten around his torso as he rested his chin on his shoulder. “Thank you. I’ll be right across the hall if you need anything.”

“Yeah, of course. I’ll let you know.” Sirius pulled apart from him, but kept his hand on Remus’s arm. “Good night, Moony. Thank you for this. For everything.”

“You’ll always have a place with me,” Remus said gently. “I can promise you that. Good night.”

Sirius watched Remus exit the room, shutting the door behind him, before he climbed into bed and got under the covers, still fully clothed. He was worn out, physically and emotionally. He was asleep almost immediately after his head hit the pillow and he stayed asleep all night for the first time in a long while.


	2. II

Sirius awoke to the smell of something delicious cooking downstairs. He reached over onto the nightstand to check the time on his phone. It was almost nine, which was way too early for him to be up on a normal day, but he was excited to see Remus. He rolled out of bed and changed into some more comfortable clothes, which evidently was just some sweatpants and a t-shirt, then headed down to see what was being made.

Remus was playing soft rock on his radio as he cooked, not even noticing Sirius coming down to say good morning since his back was facing the stairs. Sirius smiled and folded his arms as he watched Remus dance around the kitchen, singing along and waving the spatula in his hand around. He gasped and almost dropped the spatula when he turned around to see Sirius standing right outside of the kitchen.

“Can you give me a warning next time?” Remus asked, visibly embarrassed. “I cannot believe you just let me do that in front of you.”

“Ah, come on,” Sirius said, laughing. “I’ve seen you in your most vulnerable states. Nothing could possibly top that. I will admit, though, you’re a great dancer.”

“I could hit you right now. I really could. But I won’t, because I’m a nice person.”

“You would never hit me. You wouldn’t even dream of it.”

“You’re right, I would definitely do something more dramatic. Don’t forget who’s in the kitchen with the weapons and who’s vulnerable and defenseless.”

“Alright, calm down.” Sirius put his hands up as he walked into the kitchen, then leaned his hand on the counter. “Good morning, by the way.”

“Yeah, it was a good morning,” Remus said, turning back to handle the food. Everything was almost finished - he just needed to put it onto plates. He always spent the most time on making the food look pretty because he was a bit of a perfectionist. “I… I brewed you some coffee. It’s still in the pot.”

“Ooh, coffee!” Sirius headed straight for the coffee pot, pouring himself a cup without any cream or sugar and taking a large swig of it. “I’m glad you remember how much I need this shit.”

“How could I forget? You would come into class every other day complaining about caffeine withdrawals. You have a problem, you know.”

“Problem shmoblem. It’s a reliance, not an addiction.”

“You’re actually delusional, but alright.” Remus picked up the plates of food and brought them into the living room, setting them down on the coffee table. Sirius followed behind, a bit disgruntled by the horrible jab that was made at him a mere few seconds prior. He was used to remarks like that, however. It was one of the perks of being around Remus.

Sirius sat down on the couch and handed Remus a napkin that was lying in a stack on the coffee table. “Here you go. I may be delusional, but at least I’m a gentleman.”

“Oh, be quiet,” Remus hissed as he swiped the napkin out of Sirius’s hand, trying (and failing) to hold back a smile.

“I’ll be quiet when I’m dead,” Sirius said, chuckling. He then picked up his plate of food and began to scarf it down like he hadn’t eaten in days. This was how he always acted, but it made Remus’s skin crawl. He chose not to look at him, turning on the television and flipping to a morning news channel.

“You watch the news now?” Sirius asked.

“When have I not been caught up with current events?” Remus retorted. “Do you think I just magically know everything that’s going on around the world? I have to get my information somewhere.”

“Alright, calm down. You’re acting very cranky today.”

Remus turned to look at Sirius with a deadpan expression and said, “I got up and made you breakfast after you arrived at my house in the middle of the night and I have not heard a single ‘Thank you, Remus’ or a ‘You’re the best for getting up early and making me breakfast, Remus’.”

“You’re going to force a ‘thank you’ out of me? These things come naturally, you know.”

“Be honest, Padfoot. If I never brought it up, would you have said it?”

Sirius pursed his lips and looked away for a moment before he offered a sheepish smile. He knew the answer was no, but he never enjoyed looking like he was in the wrong. “Perhaps.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

“Thank you, Remus,” Sirius said, pausing for a moment before continuing. “You’re the  _ best _ for getting up early and making me breakfast, Remus.” He snorted, covering his mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

“I’m going to have a psychotic break one day and it’s going to be your fault.” Remus took a small bite of his food as he averted his attention from Sirius to the television again.

“You love me so much,” Sirius said, patting Remus’s shoulder. “You love me so much and you want to be my best friend forever.”

“You’ll see how much I love you when I send you packing.”

Sirius bit the inside of his cheek and whistled. “Alright, ouch.”

Remus suddenly felt sick. He put his plate down on the table again. “Sirius, you know I didn’t mean it like that. I was just messing around.”

“I know, I know.” Sirius put his plate down as well. “The wound is just… a bit too fresh, you know?”

“I do.” He didn’t know what else to say. Sirius was smiling, but he looked so undeniably sad. Remus opened up his arms. “Come on. Come here.”

Sirius scooted in and put his arms around Remus’s torso, resting his head on his shoulder and letting out a long sigh. “I’m not upset with you. You know that, right?”

“I do. You’re still upset, though.” Remus patted Sirius’s back lightly before pulling back and looking him in the face. “I know it’s a bit insensitive to ask this, but are you okay?”

Sirius nodded, running a hand back through his own hair. “As okay as I can possibly be. I certainly wouldn’t be as okay if you weren’t here.”

Remus smiled warmly and shook his head. “I’m trying my best.”

“And you’re doing fantastic,” Sirius said gently.

The room was silent save for the faint sound of the television for a moment. Remus was visibly flustered, trying to gather his own thoughts and feelings, but all he was able to utter was “Thanks,” as he picked up both of their plates and stood up to bring them to the kitchen. Again, Sirius followed close behind, bopping his head from side to side as if he was playing music in his head.

“We should do something fun today,” said Sirius as he shuffled into the kitchen and did a spin.

Remus nodded. “Maybe tonight. I have work in like, an hour.”

“Let’s do dinner,” Sirius said.

“Will you be covering the tab?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh, be still my beating heart.” Remus washed off the plates and put them on the rack to dry. “You’re on, then. Dinner out sounds absolutely lovely right now. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about this one being a bit short. I have fun plans for the next chapters. :)


End file.
